SHANNON NOLL – A Million Suns (2011)
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I have been following SHANNON NOLL’s discography since his first 2004 album, as his music has a mature Classic Rock, catchy rock&pop sound. After a four-year recording gap, Noll is releasing a new album; “A Million Suns”.
Born in New South Wales, Australia, Shannon Noll may have come to the country’s attention through his part in the Australian Idol series but since those days he built a really solid career based on strong melodic rock songs featuring his honest, distinctive gravelly Aussie vocal style.
“A Million Suns” is his fourth album and it is definitely the strongest set of songs he has written and also contains the highest quality production we’ve heard from him yet, handled by Bryon Jones who worked on Noll’s first two albums.
The CD contain a good mix of rockers and ballads but the common theme is catchy and radio friendly vocal hooks backed up by powerful musical performances.
First track on the album and promotional single “Switch Me On” has impassioned melodies and good guitars, a bit modern and obviously intended for radio, whilst the title track pays tribute to the Australian summer and focuses on Noll’s voice, more melodic than rocking but definitely one to get caught up in.
The highlights are the arena-sized anthems “My Place in the Line” and “Living in Stereo”, that might satisfy those waiting impatiently for the next Bryan Adams record, both really good melodic rock songs.
The rocker “Til We Say So” is a blistering slice of blue-collar Classic Rock that showcase Noll’s vocals at their most gravelly.
The great and infectious rock&pop arrangement of “Would It Be So Bad” has a hooky chorus super easy to like.
On the massive power ballad “Long Way Home” Shannon sounds as last decade Def Leppard, a really good tune full of passion and harmonies.
“A Million Suns” is another good commercial rock album by Shannon Noll, and while there’s a standard supply of aching, mid-tempo efforts, the CD is definitely aimed at the live arena, with plenty of upbeat and cool rock numbers destined to get the punters up and about.
Noll has teamed up with some big names to write the songs for this album, all well crafted and faithful to his classic rock roots while ramping up the pace like never before.
“A Million Suns” should appeal to all classic and melodic rock fans with taste for commercial tunes with substance and endurance.
Really well done.
01 – Switch Me On
02 – A Million Suns
03 – My Place In The Line
04 – Come Home
05 – Rewind
06 – ’til We Say So
07 – Long Way Home
08 – Living In Stereo
09 – Path Of Gold
10 – Collide
11 – Would It Be So Bad
12 – It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World
BUY IT!
www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8616957
